This invention relates generally to a drive device for current-generating units, as might be used for example in motor vehicles.
In practice, the driving part connected to a motor vehicle engine was previously rigidly connected to the current-generating unit. The driving part is in particular a belt pulley driven from the motor vehicle engine. At low rotational speed and/or in the case of spasmodic operation of the motor vehicle engine, in particular in the case of a diesel engine, rotational oscillations are transmitted from the latter to the driving part and/or to the belt pulley and thus directly to the current-generating unit. As a result of the severe accelerations and decelerations which are produced in this way, a very severe load is placed not only on the drive belts between the motor vehicle engine and the driving part to of the current-generating unit, but also on the bearings of this unit, so that the drive belts and/or the bearings of the current-generating unit have only a relatively short service life. Accordingly, there is a need to provide a drive device in which such rotational oscillations and the loadings brought about thereby are eliminated or at least greatly reduced, in order to increase the operating service life of the drive device.
The foregoing illustrates limitations known to exist in present devices and methods. Thus, it is apparent that it would be advantageous to provide an alternative directed to overcoming one or more of the limitations set forth above. Accordingly, a suitable alternative is provided including features more fully disclosed hereinafter.